St. Mary's Parish Nurse Ministry Program
Ruth E. Williams, RN, MEPD, MSN

WELCOME 2012 Dear Viewers, Peace to all in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. ALLELUIA! "Praise God in his holy sanctuary; give praise in the mighty dome of heaven" (Psalm 150:1-2) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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This month hosts a variety of programs such as: National Blood Donor, Thyroid Awareness, Birth Defect Prevention, Eye Care, and Cervical Health Awareness Month. This month let's focus on leukemia. What is leukemia? It is a cancer of the blood cells. It starts In the bone marrow where the blood cells are made. The bone marrow makes white, red, and platelet cells. When a person has leukemia there is an abundance of abnormal white cells produced by the bone marrow and they function inadequately. There are several different kinds of leukemia. The four main types are: Acute myelogenous leukemia or AML; Acute lymphoblastic leukemia or ALL; Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or CLL; Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia or CML. Experts don't know exactly what causes leukemia. There are some risk factors such as radiation, chemicals, smoke and genetic problems. Some sign and symptoms are: fever, night sweats, headaches, bone pain, feeling tired or weak losing weight, and swollen lymph nodes.(www.webmd.com) Please see your Health Care Provider if you have any of the symptoms. Visit your Faith Community Nurse for comfort and prayers. John 14:27 states, "Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you." Faith Community Nurse (Parish Nurse) class at Viterbo University April 13,14,20,21,27,28, 2012. Call 608-796-3670 for more info. My book, A COLLECTION OF PARISH NURSE NEWSLETTERS is available at www.dorrancebookstore.com; amazon.com; Eden Book Store (1-877-627-5653) toll free. Ocooch Book Store (1-608-647-8826).